Abused Animals Become Abusers

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Abused Animals Become Abusers

Posted : 10/17/2011 2:45:09 PM

There is a general acceptance that humans that are abused have a greater tendency to become abusers themselves.

A recent study on boobies (don't laugh) finds that the same trend is observed in birds. Maltreated nestlings exhibit correlated maltreatment as adults: evidence of a "cycle of violence" in Nazca boobies (Suli granti)

Those that don't have access to this article can read the summary here.

http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/10/abused-chicks-grow-up-to-be-abus.html

I'll leave it up to the reader to think about how this applies to dog training.

LadyFreckles

Posted : 4/29/2012 4:27:25 AM

You reap what you sew. When the only thing you have ever known is aggression and violence, how exactly are you supposed to cope with every day life? The same applies with dogs, though like with humans, there will always be that one occasional dog that comes out of an abusive environment relatively unscathed. Everyone has different limits.

muttmama

Posted : 6/14/2012 2:53:37 PM

There's an amazing non-profit in my area called Gabriel's Angels that uses therapy dogs to stop the cycle of violence. Research has shown that not only do victims of domestic violence tend to become abusers themselves, but their abuse often starts with animal abuse. To prevent animal abuse and future DV, Gabriel's Angels takes therapy dogs to DV shelters for families and children. The kids (many of whom have seen their own pets be abused) learn to connect with animals in a way that deters them from becoming abusers themselves. In many cases, the kids they've worked with already started abusing animals, then admitted it and stopped after working with Gabriel's Angels. They've done a great job at interrupting the cycle of violence by teaching empathy, understanding, and more through the love of dogs.

Pretty awesome work and a great way to stop the cycle of violence.